Poems only occasionally are inspirations for musical theater, and it took a long time for this one to reach fruition, but "The Wild Party," based on a 1928 poem–and a decade of Prohibition-driven parties–arrived in St. Louis last night to run through May 15. The production by New Line Theatre will run through May 15 at what was CBC High School, now the Washington University South Campus Theatre.
While highly melodramatic, sometimes to the point of hysteria, a large number of fine performances, spot-on, rapid-fire direction by Scott Miller and plenty of sex make the show fast-moving, highly entertaining and oh, my goodness, bawdy and naughty. In other words, while there's no real sex and no nudity, there's a great deal of simulated sex that follows a large amount of foreplay, including much kissing while groping, stroking, squeezing, rubbing and other touchy-feely stuff. Not for the children and the easily embarrassed.
The play, with book, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, ran on Broadway for a couple of months a decade ago, and Lippa is represented in New York right now with a new musical about the Addams family.
Early on, we meet Queenie (Margaux Baue Steinau) and Burrs (Jeffrey Pruett), a couple of vaudevillians on their way downhill, both professionally and in their relationship. Neither is of moral character high enough to play quarterback in the National Football League. She thinks a party would be a good way to spend an evening reveling with the riff-raff. The guest list includes Kate (Deborah Sharn), a retired hooker now an ardent amateur who has an eye for Burrs and a date with tall, handsome Mr. Black (Keith Parker), a man who appears to be an uptown swell.
The loose and lively crowd also includes a lesbian madam (a superior Nikki Glenn), a pair of incestuous brothers (terrific performances by Mike Dowdy and Joel Hackbarth), a mute dancer (Andrew VanderYacht), a slightly punchy boxer (Zachary Allan Farmer) and his curvaceous wife (Emily Berry) and Nadine (Macia Noorman), an underage hanger-on who certainly seems to like kissing.
There is some excellent singing and dancing along the way, with Glenn's "An Old-Fashioned Lesbian Love Song" delivered broadly and brilliantly enough to be practically a show-stopper. Robin Michelle Berger created some fine choreography, entertaining but not beyond the capabilities of the young cast, and Miller's well-prepared, well-executed direction brings good harmony and winning ensemble work. He also played piano and led the six-piece band.
The four leads work very hard, with great earnestness. Sharn has the most experience as a singer, and it shows in "Let Me Drown," and earlier in "The Life of the Party," a bittersweet torch song that opens the second act, and "Look at Me Now," a song of seduction. Pruett pours everything into his performance, and it's hard and bitter early, fading into pain and torment when he realizes he may lose Queenie to Black. Steinau's opening song, "Queenie Was a Blonde," is solid, but as then evening continues her voice does not seem big enough to do as much singing as the role needs, or when it comes time to really belt. She's a tough cookie who has been used and abused, but she's a fighter, and with her bright hair and her white underwear, she commands the stage. It's a fine performance. Black is tall and handsome, and two of his songs with Queenie, "Come With Me" and "Of All the Luck," are winners. So is "Let Me Drown," with Sharn.
"The Wild Party," a New Line Theatre production, at the Washington University South Campus Theatre through May 15
–Joe